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Model S March 2011 update

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Reservation holders just got a mail with some details:

  • Deliveries for North America begin in mid-2012.
  • The first 1000 cars off the line will be the North American Model S Signature Series. Those vehicles will be equipped with a 300 mile range battery. In the tradition of a limited-edition series, they will feature unique badging and an extensive complement of options.
  • After the Model S Signature Series, deliveries for North America will continue with the 300 mile batteries, followed by 230 and 160 options later in 2012.
  • Delivery of the European left-hand drive Model S is scheduled to begin in late 2012. In mid-2013 we plan to begin delivering the right-hand drive Model S for Europe and Asia. Each launch will begin with a limited edition Signature Series.
  • We expect to produce approximately 5,000 units in 2012 as we ramp to full single shift production capacity of 20,000 units per year in 2013.
  • The price of the US base Model S with a 160-mile battery is $49,900 after the $7,500 federal tax credit. The 230-mile range option is expected to price at about $10,000 more and the 300-mile option at about $20,000 more than the base.
  • We are currently working on final pricing and options for Model S, including the Signature Series. We expect to have updates on Model S pricing worldwide this summer.


Quite a surprise they will start with 300 mile deliveries first. As European I hope prices and estimated amount of deliveries expected in 2012 will be released soon :)
 
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The 300-Mile battery is what I've expected, but still a LOT of money :)

But I really do hope to see my Model S on my driveway at the end of 2012, but I have the feeling that it will be in 2013..
 
true... but it really throws down the gauntlet to the competition!

Adm said:
I suspect this is to deliver the cars with the highest profit margin first...

I believe this represents a good business plan. Emphasize the positives. What does Tesla have that no other car company has? They have BEV's with the longest range. Although Tesla's financials are better than what they were, there is still some potential doubt regarding their viability. So they are selling what no one else has, and making the customer pay a premium for it... what's the customer gonna do? buy a leaf? Like Apple, Inc, Tesla knows they have what the customer wants and can't get elsewhere, so they are getting good profit margins, for now. On the other hand, if they sold a BEV with 160 mile range, that is only slightly more than a leaf, they'd have a harder time justifying the additional $$$.

This policy is following Tesla's game plan. Starting with the most expensive cars, then working their way down to the less expensive cars with the tighter margins. 1st the Roadster, then the high end Model S, then the low end Model S, then Model X or Bluestar.

I am excited that they are still on schedule, and I was probably going to get the 300 mi pack anyhow, but now that the base for the car I want is $70k, I will need to see how the options price out.
 
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Both great news and disappointing news. I wanted to upgrade to the signature series, but a $20k bump on battery price is more than I was hoping to handle. It means the bare bones car is 77,500 for the 300 mile range, so with other options, probably closer to $85-90,000. That's 10-15,000 out of my range.
 
This is geat news starting with the 300 mile battery. I will wait to hold judgment to see the pricing on options. Hopefully, the Signature Series will have a lot of bang for the buck. I do expect it to be close to $80K.
 
I was planning on the 160, and hopefully "later in 2012" doesn't get pushed out.
I think I'll also have to wait and see about the idea of renting a 300-mile pack for the occasional long trip. My daily commute is about 12 miles round trip and 160 mile range would cover the occasional trip to Sacramento. If I needed to go to Tahoe or LA, which is only at most 4 times a year, I would like to rent the 300 mile pack. Even if that rental costs $200-300, it would make more sense than $20k upfront for the big pack. As much as it pains me, I will have waited 2 1/2 years by mid 2012, and a few more months wait for the 160 pack is comparatively short.
 
Also available here: A Quick Update on Model S | Blog | Tesla Motors
(With a bit of introduction and a link to the Model S FAQ.)

To start with the 300 mile pack, goes along with Tesla's general approach of bringing a new technology to market by starting at the high end, although in this case it is a surprise from a technical point of view. This will also allow making a stronger point about the potential of EVs for the future. It does appear that the general expectation is that over the years, battery prices will be coming down... ;)
 
Amazing! I had held off on reserving the S because I had no idea what was going into it, and based on what we had heard it sounded like there was no chance it would be the 300 mile battery pack -- at best I thought it might be an upgrade. Despite my low P number (96), I'll probably end up reserving an S now because I really wanted the 300 mile pack anyway, and definitely want to get the car as soon as possible. My Lexus RX 400h has almost 90k miles on it!
 
Delivery Order

I'm confused. I thought the cars were going to be delivered by reservation number..now it sounds like they'll be delivered by battery size? What does it mean if I have #P 1000 with a 160 mile pack and someone has #P 2000 with a 300 mile pack...will they get their car first? Doesn't seem fair to the people that "invested" early.